Heavenly Bamboo care — light, water, toxicity and hardiness
Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina domestica) wants partial shade and a drink about every 7 days once established. It is hardy in USDA zones 6 to 9. It is toxic to pets — worth keeping out of reach.
| scientific name | Nandina domestica |
|---|---|
| family | Berberidaceae |
| category | shrub |
| plant type | perennial |
| light | partial shade |
| water cadence days | 7 |
| mature height cm | 240 |
| min zone | 6 |
| max zone | 9 |
| frost tolerant | true |
| toxic to pets | true |
| toxic to humans | true |
| edible | false |
How often should I water Heavenly Bamboo?
Not a bamboo; berries poison birds — choose sterile cultivars.
Is Heavenly Bamboo toxic?
Cyanogenic glycosides in berries.
Who eats it
Palatable to browsing animals such as deer: low. Palatable to grazing animals: low. Palatable to people: no.
What it needs
Its shade tolerance is low. Its moisture use is high. Its drought tolerance is low. It wants at least about 35 inches of rain a year. Above roughly 55 inches of annual rain it struggles. It tolerates soil down to pH 4.5. It tolerates soil up to pH 6.0. Its fertility requirement is high. Adapted to coarse, sandy soils: yes. Adapted to medium, loamy soils: yes. Adapted to fine, clay soils: yes. It needs at least 165 frost-free days. Its salt tolerance is medium. Its tolerance of chalky soil is low. Its fire tolerance is low. Fire resistant: no. It has been recorded down to 2°F. It suppresses neighbours chemically: no.
How it grows
It grows as a multiple stem form. Its growth rate is rapid. Its lifespan is moderate. It puts on most of its growth in spring and summer. It spreads by seed at a slow rate. It spreads vegetatively at a moderate rate. It resprouts after damage: yes. Coppices: no. Its tolerance of hedging is medium. At maturity it reaches about 8.0 feet. By twenty years it is about 8 feet. Its roots go down at least 20 inches. Its shape is erect. It holds its leaves through winter: yes.
What it looks like
It blooms in early summer. The flowers are white. Conspicuous in flower: yes. The foliage is green. The foliage texture is fine. In summer the canopy is moderate in porosity. In winter it is moderate in porosity. Fall colour: no. The fruit or seed is red. Fruit begins in summer. Fruit finishes by fall. It fruits high. The fruit persists on the plant: yes. The fruit is conspicuous: yes.
Growing more of it
Propagated by seed: yes. Propagated by cuttings: yes. Propagated by container: yes. Propagated by bare root: yes. Propagated by bulb: no. Propagated by corm: no. Propagated by tubers: no. Cold stratification required: yes. Seedling vigour is low. Commercial availability: routinely available.
Source: Drafted from US Cooperative Extension horticulture guidance; pending HUMAN-05 review (issue 280) · ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List · 2026-09-02